Tesco anger more farmers

Tesco, who can't do a thing right at the moment, are at it again, annoying UK sheep farmers by selling loads of imported lamb, underneath a banner that parps on about it being Scottish.

The Tesco in question is an Extra store near Edinburgh, and the Nation Farmers Union of Scotland found a shelves full of imported New Zealand lamb, all under the sign that said ‘The Best Scottish Lamb in Season’.

NFU Scotland now wants some answers from Tesco, to see if this is widespread across their stores. As an aside, it just so happens to be peak Scottish lamb season, and there's a campaign promoting it called 'Wham Bam Lamb', which doesn't quite work, but we're guessing hard-up farmers don't have a very good marketing team.

NFU Scotland President Allan Bowie spat: "The deep felt anger being directed towards Tesco over this debacle is wholly justified. This is totally unacceptable. Scotland’s sheep farmers and our consumers deserve much, much better than this."

"First and foremost, why is Tesco still promoting imported lamb in shelf-filling quantities when this is peak season for Scottish and UK supplies? This makes its well-publicised pledges of support for Scottish and UK farmers appear wafer thin."

"Secondly, this kind of point of sale abuse of the ‘Scottish’ brand makes Scottish farmers’ blood boil. It is difficult to put into words just how angry hard-working sheep farmers feel when they spot some excellent promotion of Scottish lamb in a Tesco store only to find the shelves below are filled with imported product."

"Consumers looking to support Scottish farmers and buy Scottish lamb would see this point of sale material, pick up a pack of lamb often without realising that it does nothing to support our sheep sector here in Scotland. By way of a response, we will not be fobbed off by Tesco telling us that this is a one-off or that it was simply human error because we have had that excuse before."

"The UK’s biggest retailer must do better. It must urgently review all of its signage in Scottish stores and ensure that where it proudly proclaims to be offering ‘The Best Scottish Lamb in Season’, then that is what is on the shelf. Tesco’s support for Scottish lamb in what has been a very difficult season is crucial and it is clear that there remains considerable scope for improvement."

"There are other major retailers who can successfully stock Scottish lamb 12 months of the year. A far greater commitment from the UK’s biggest retailer to sourcing home-produced lamb would make a massive difference. That is something that we have been discussing with the retailer for some considerable time but it is time for Tesco to live up to its pledges or they will be viewed as little more than lip service."

6 comments

The Scottish farmers are getting their string vests in a twist over not very much. That POS says "The best Scottish lamb in the season" which I read as "The Scottish lamb we have here in Tesco's is the best of the season" not "All of the lamb that is below this here sign is Scottish only".
They also need to understand that maybe people want New Zealand lamb, and crucially that the country of origin is printed on the packet.